If you have anything else you’d like to ask, feel free to comment below or Tweet us! We love hearing from you, and hope you’ll join us to kick some ASCII… alright, I’m done, I promise!

Q: What kind of game is this?

In the most humble way possible, Traiteur is a Raconteur kind of game: something that’s a strange combination of ideas with a heavy focus on narrative. It’s a top-down shooter set in an ASCII world where war is erupting, and you seek out a mythical figure to help stop the conflict. It’s been described as “An ASCII quest for human understanding”! (Thanks to our sound designer Elise Kates for that!)

If you like top-down shooters, you’ll love Traiteur. If you like a good story, you’ll enjoy every second of it. If you like really weird things, this will be an awesome experience for you — and so much more! Check out more on gameplay here.

Q: Will there be any kind of skill trees or unlocks?

Apart from the two core abilities (standard “shoot as fast as you can click” shot, and a charged shot) there will be a few other abilities that are made available to the player as they progress through the narrative. There is no formal skill tree or unlock system, though if you fully explore every nook and cranny and talk to everyone you see, you might just find something extra!

Ghosts in the Forest level can be spooky!

Q: Is it a roguelike?

Not exactly! If anything, it’s a rogue-lite as it does possess some of the basic similarities. Overall, the first question answers this best!

Q: Is it a shooter?

If you’re referring to a top-down shooter, then yes! However, we do have more than shooting at things.

Q: Is it going to JUST be shooting at things?!

Nope! We have hub/safe areas full of NPCs that also include side stories (I hesitate to call them side “quests” because they’re usually very simple), puns, and overall fun shenanigans.

Q: Is this the spiritual successor to Cooking Mama? Also, you spelled “Traitor” wrong.

Not at all, though kudos to knowing the traditional continental French definition of Traiteur! :) The name of the game is definitely spelled right, too! We explain the meaning behind our name in this blog post.

Q: One word: Why?

At Raconteur, we’re inspired by very unique and strange things. Traiteur is the result of wanting to make something very special with a lot of heart, and it’s also a proving grounds for us: we finished and shipped one game before, and we’re still trying to prove to ourselves that we can keep doing it!

An early gif showcasing combat (enemies are placeholder here and not final; see the previous screen for more final art!).

Q: Is there multiplayer?

There is no multiplayer in Traiteur. It is very much a single-player experience.

Q: When and where can I buy it?

Traiteur is coming to Steam later this year! If you follow our blog every Wednesday, you’ll be the first to know when our Steam page goes live.

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